EDWARDS WINS FIRST USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE IN SANTA MARIA RETURN
Nipomo, California (June 15, 2024)………Drake Edwards charged to his first career USAC Avanti Windows & Doors Western States Midget victory on Saturday night at California’s Santa Maria Speedway.
Fresh off competing the entirety of USAC Indiana Midget Week during the first week of June, the fourth place starting Edwards (Peoria, Ariz.) returned to the west and put his name in the books as the newest series winner in his Petty Performance Racing machine.
In the first series event held at Santa Maria in nearly two years, since an August 2022 contest, Caden Sarale (Stockton, Calif.) paced the first 21 laps from the pole position but ultimately bowed out of competition due to an oil leak.
That led Edwards to the front of the pack where he led the remaining four laps to tally the victory over T.J. Smith (Fresno, Calif.), Woodland Auto Display Fast Qualifier Cade Lewis (Bakersfield, Calif.), Brandt Twitty (Bakersfield, Calif.) and Dalten Gabbard (Peoria, Ariz.).
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USAC AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES RACE RESULTS: June 15, 2024 – Santa Maria Raceway – Nipomo, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Cade Lewis, 101, Alexander-13.792; 2. Ryan Bernal, 8, Ford-13.921; 3. Brandon Wiley, 14, Graunstadt-13.969; 4. Drake Edwards, 3p, Petty-13.992; 5. T.J. Smith, 68, Six8-14.003; 6. Brandt Twitty, 4B, Twitty-14.062; 7. Caden Sarale, 32, Sarale-14.123; 8. Dalten Gabbard, 77, Gabbard-14.241; 9. Cole Wakim, 55, Lambert-14.400; 10. Terry Nichols, 1p, Nichols/Peckfelder-14.423; 11. Tom Dunkel, 17A, Ford-14.437; 12. Kyle Beilman, 31B, Beilman-14.456; 13. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-14.463; 14. Garrett Twitty, 4, Twitty-14.641; 15. Bryan Dollinger, 71D, Drollinger-14.790; 16. Dane Culver, 50, Knuckles Up-15.031; 17. Ben Covich, 65NZ, Covich-15.382; 18. Marvin Mitchell, 78, Mitchell-16.985.
CAL WEST WELDING/EXTREME MUFFLER FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Caden Sarale (4), 2. Drake Edwards (5), 3. Dane Culver (1), 4. 101-Cade Lewis (6), 5. C.J. Sarna (2), 6. Terry Nichols (3). NT
HOT HEAD COMPETITION ENGINE HEATERS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Dalten Gabbard (4), 2. Garrett Twitty (2), 3. T.J. Smith (5), 4. Tom Dunkel (3), 5. Ben Covich (1), 6. Ryan Bernal (6). NT
BR MOTORSPORTS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Brandt Twitty (5), 2. Brandon Wiley (6), 3. Marvin Mitchell (1), 4. Bryan Drollinger, 5. Kyle Beilman, 6. Cole Wakim. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1 Drake Edwards (4), 2. T.J. Smith (3), 3. Cade Lewis (6), 4. Brandt Twitty (2), 5. Dalten Gabbard (7), 6. Brandon Wiley (5), 7. Ryan Bernal (8), 8. Dane Culver (10), 9. Tom Dunkel (11), 10. C.J. Sarna (12), 11. Bryan Drollinger (14), 12. Ben Covich (16), 13. Cole Wakim (9), 14. Caden Sarale (1), 15. Terry Nichols (15), 16. Garrett Twitty (13), 17. Marvin Mitchell (17). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-20 Caden Sarale, Laps 21-25 Drake Edwards.
USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Cade Lewis-267, 2-Drake Edwards-255, 3-Caden Sarale-228, 4-Brandt Twitty-214, 5-Dane Culver-191, 6-C.J. Sarna-183, 7-Garrett Twitty-179, 8-Ben Covich-158, 9-Cole Wakim-148, 10-Randi Pankratz-121.
NEXT USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: July 6, 2024 – Placerville Speedway – Placerville, California
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS
Rod End Supply Hard Charger: Drake Edwards (4th to 1st)
